How to lose weight and keep it off

Maintaining a healthy weight is key for good health, but many of us go about it the wrong way. Victoria Taylor, senior dietician at The British Heart Foundation, explains how to do it right

Your weight can make a difference to your risk of coronary heart disease (CHD). Being obese (having a BMI of 30 or greater) is a risk factor, but weight is also linked to other conditions like high blood pressure and type 2 diabetes, which can also increase your risk of CHD.

If you’re not sure if you need to lose weight, calculating your BMI can be a good starting point and help you work out whether you are at an appropriate weight for your height. Check your waist circumference too as your body shape is also important. Carrying too much weight around our middle increases risk, even if your BMI is within the healthy range.

When it comes to getting the weight off, everyone wants to lose weight quickly, and there are many diets out there promising instant results. But while they might work in the short term, more often than not they are difficult to stick to and so the weight quickly comes back on.

When choosing a diet look out for some of these common diet myths and fads to help you spot the types of crash diets that are best avoided.

How can I lose weight for good?

We asked Victoria Taylor, senior dietitian at the British Heart Foundation, for her top tips for losing weight in a healthy way:

‘While any weight loss will require a change to eating habits, it shouldn’t mean missing out on nutrients or cutting out whole food groups. Aim for regular meals and a balanced diet but also take care with your portion sizes. You might be eating a healthy balance of foods, just too much of it. Changes to your food aren’t the only thing to consider either. The most effective weight loss approaches combine changes to diet with increased physical activity and also address some of your behaviours around food to help you understand your own eating pattern and responses to food at different times or in certain situations.

Diets that involve removing – or severely limiting – specific foods or food groups that are nutritionally important are not going to be a long-term solution. The more extreme high-protein, low-carbohydrate diets limit fruit, vegetables and fibre, particularly in the early stages, while faddy diets based on single foods (cabbage soup, anyone?) involve eating a lot of one type of food and not much of others. Some diets also drastically limit calorie intake so you get results fast. However, a very low-calorie intake can leave you tired and hungry, so you give up, regaining the weight as quickly as it came off.

National guidelines recommend that, for sustainable weight loss, a reduction in calorie intake of about 600 a day is needed. This could lead to a weekly weight loss of around 0.5kg (1lb). While it may not sound a great deal next to the promises of many quick-fix diets, it allows you to incorporate healthy eating habits into your lifestyle permanently, so you’re more likely to keep it off for good.’

How can I tell which diets are safe and healthy?

If you are considering starting a diet, make sure that you have all the facts first, and always consult your GP before restricting or changing your diet.

Our expert tips on how to eat a balanced diet is a good place to start if you’re looking to improve your nutrition in general, ensure you’re getting key nutrients and perfect your portion sizes.

Finally, if you’re looking for a balanced, healthy eating plan that is nutritionist-approved, sign up to our free Healthy Diet Plans. They're a great way to kickstart healthy habits and try out delicious and nutritious recipes. We bring out a brand-new Healthy Diet Plan twice a year, plus plenty of extra recipes, fitness tips and healthy eating inspiration – and if you sign up, you’ll get this all sent straight to your inbox.

We’ve got plenty of tips to help you fuel your fitness, too. Discover what to eat for different types of workouts, including yoga, high-intensity interval training (HIIT), endurance training or aerobic activities. If you’re into running, cycling or swimming, our expert fitness tips will help you to get the most out of every session.

All health content on bbcgoodfood.com is provided for general information only, and should not be treated as a substitute for the medical advice of your own doctor or any other health care professional. If you have any concerns about your general health, you should contact your local health care provider. See our website terms and conditions for more information.

Have you successfully lost weight or are you trying to? We'd love to hear from you in the comments below.

Comments, questions and tips

If you’re looking for quick and massive fat loss then you should try fat freezing and not fat burning strategy. Freezing takes less time and energy to reduce extra fats from the body and blue fat freeze system is the best way to go about it which is a fat freezing kit used while resting at home.

rebecca1974

21st Jun, 2016

I used to be slim in my high school days, but since college I have been gaining weight, so much so, that I now look bad, and everyone around is commenting on my weight. I did try some weight loss programs but honestly could not stick to any for too long, none of them showed results anyway, and my problem is not solved a bit. Please, please can anyone suggest me a good way to lose weight? Thanks in advance.

lomfise

23rd Aug, 2016

Try counting the calories you eat. There are loads of different apps out there where you type in your current weight and how much you want to loose. It then tells you how many calories you should eat a day to reach this goal, and helps you keep track of how many you've eaten. The first few days it's a bit annoying having to weigh and note everything you eat, but it quickly becomes a habit. This has worked wonders for me, because it helps me make better choices for my meals, and tells me just how many chocolates I can eat before I've eaten too many calories :-) Good luck.

AshBenson1

25th Jul, 2016

Also drink lots of water

favourite28

28th May, 2016

I had been struggling to lose my weight for a very long time. Unfortunately I can't live a healthy live style all the time because of my job, kids and lack of time but even despite that I tried as much as I only could but my weight was vary just a little bit and only when I added Tibetan herbs for weight loss to my diet I finally started loosing weight. I don't know how this herbal blend works but I've lost 1 stone so far with them. It is a huge relieve now and I'm hope for the best.

hermajtomomi

2nd May, 2016

I was a fat kid, brought up by fat parents, made to eat too much - perfectly healthy, home-cooked food but in humungous portions. After decades of trying various diets, either not losing at all or losing and regaining the lot, plus a bit more, 5:2 has worked for me. It's been slow - nearly three years to lose two stone with a stone still to go - but I've not put any back on and previous hypertension has disappeared and I'm off the medication. The odd couple of pounds regained, for example on holiday, soon disappears after a few days of being extra vigilant.

johnjustice

1st Aug, 2014

Whatever diet method you choose to lose weight the one constant for every one is to maintain a correct psychological approach. It is what is in your head that ultimately is the most effective way of trying to lose weight and to keep it off. All the research done by dieticians and the medical profession tell us that the most effective way to diet is to lose a maximum of around 2 lb per week. I view any other claims that claim greater weekly weight loss with more than a little suspicion and avoid them. For me I found that the 5:2 diet is the most effective way to lose weight. I am around 14 lb lighter than I was in Jan 2013. The weight has stayed off. The diet suits me. It may not be for every one but ultimately I find it mentally achievable.

EmilyJ0115

9th Aug, 2016

I used to be slim in my high school days, but since college I have been gaining weight, so much so, that I now look bad, and everyone around is commenting on my weight. I did try some weight loss programs but honestly could not stick to any for too long, none of them showed results anyway, and my problem is not solved a bit. Please, please can anyone suggest me a good way to lose weight? Thanks in advance.

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